1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to firearms, and more particularly, to a recoil reducing and electrical generation system for large caliber, shoulder-fired weapons.
2. Description of Related Art
Problems relating to recoil when a firearm is discharged have been present in the art for centuries. Recoil results from forces generated by the gases that propel the projectile, or bullet, out of a weapon's barrel. With relatively low power firearms, it is obvious that the recoil is a minimal problem, especially when the firearm itself is quite heavy so the mass of the firearm absorbs a great part of the energy of the recoil. As firearms become more powerful and lighter in weight relative to their power, the recoil becomes an increasing problem.
Large caliber weapons produce significant recoil upon firing such that firing such a weapon directly from the shoulder poses a significant risk of recoil-induced injury to the shooter. The recoil force experienced by the shooter of a conventional weapon is a product of the acceleration of the projectile by these gases and the amount of time that the recoil impulse is experienced by the shooter. In a conventional weapon this amount of time is approximately the time that elapses while the gases are expanding out of the barrel, i.e. the time necessary for the projectile to leave the open end of the barrel. Accordingly, there exists a need for a system that reduces recoil in firearms and weapons.
In addition, the users of firearms and weapons are often simultaneous users of various man portable electrically powered devices. Among these electrically powered devices are night vision equipment, communication equipment, navigational equipment, etc. Each of theses electrically powered devices requires a power source, such as a battery pack. If use of these devices is relied upon heavily, the user is forced to carry replacement battery power sources and/or periodically recharge. Requiring the user to carry non-rechargeable replacement batteries is burdensome. In addition, requiring the user to effectively find a recharging facility, stop, and recharge is equally undesirable.
The present inventor has contributed to advancements in this field, as exemplified by U.S. Pat. No. 6,526,686, issued to Poff et al., wherein an electric charging system for a firearm is disclosed. In that patent I, discloses a port in operable communication with a chamber adapted to receive an amount of expanding gas created by an ignited charge, and a cavity in operable communication with the port and adapted to receive an amount of the expanding gas therefrom. The charging system also includes a charging assembly in operable communication with the cavity, wherein the charging assembly creates an electric charge when impinged by the expanding gas located within the cavity, and a conductor in electrical communication with the charging assembly, wherein the conductor receives the electrical charge from the charging assembly. The charging system further includes a power storage unit in electrical communication with the conductor, wherein the storage unit stores the electrical charge received from the conductor. While this system is considered useful in generating an electrical charge, it has not been fully integrated with a recoil reducing system.
Accordingly, there remains a need for a system that reduces recoil in firearms and weapons and converts this reclaimed energy into useful electrical energy to replace costly and bulky one time use batteries to power current and planned military hardware.